On Tuesday, August 22nd, 40 local community leaders spoke before the Doña Ana County Board of County Commissioners as the commission debated cutting MVEDA’s annual funding by 50%. County staff had proposed awarding $100,000 contracts to MVEDA and the Hunt Institute of UTEP. After a lengthy debate, the Commission unanimously voted against the proposal. Doña Ana County staff will execute a professional services contract in the amount of $50,000 to reimburse MVEDA for its continuing services until such time as a sole source contract can be developed and approved, or failing that, to develop a new RFP that more closely expresses their intent for economic development services.
Many of MVEDA’s private sector partners sent letters of support and were present to verbally express the need to continue to fund MVEDA’s economic development program to at least the historical level of $200,000 annually. The businesses included El Paso Electric, US Bank, the Borderplex Alliance, Southwest Steel Coil, Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, MountainView Regional Medical Center, Pic Quik Stores, First American Bank, NAI 1st Valley Real Estate, La Posta de Mesilla, Beasley Mitchell & Co., Pioneer Bank, Union Pacific, BNSF Railroad, Enchanted Land Certified Development, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, and ARCA Space Corporation.
Other support, both from those present and from those sending e-mails, included representatives from: the City of Las Cruces; the NM Economic Development Department and NM Economic Development Partnership; Otero County Economic Development Council; Association of Commerce and Industry; the 3 local Chambers of Commerce; NMSU, the Arrowhead Center and Doña Ana Community College; the Small Business Development Center; the Bridge of SNM; the High Tech Consortium of SNM; United Way of SNM; Border Industrial Association; Las Cruces Home Builders Association; Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation; and several local legislators and private citizens.
The MVEDA Board of Directors and staff thanks all those who graciously took time away from their job to lend support.
